For Glory, For Honor, For Love
by The dudeoffanfiction
Summary: The opportunity for the power he'd always wanted was right in front of him. Aside from the petty self-doubts and second guesses of a lonely Prince starving for attention, nothing stood in his way. He never expected to meet a chestnut haired princess who would change his heart forever (K for unsettling emotional themes and violence).
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1:**

"We'll be at the island of Arendelle shortly, Prince Hans,"

Said a gruff voice Hans knew well. He owed the old man much; he was really the only one who he could honestly discuss his feelings to without getting a black eye in the process.

"Thanks for another speedy trip, Captain Fredrick, 'looks like we'll be on time for the coronation after all."  
"Hehe, you doubted me, your highness?"  
"'Course not." He embarked up the stairs towards Fredrick. "I'm just… antsy, you know what I mean?"  
"'Course I do, your highness. After all, gettin' to know your true love ain't the easiest thing a fella's ever done."  
"Yeah," Hans adjusted his gloves behind him. "Sometimes,"

"Yer voice is distant," Fredrick said. "I haven't known ya all these years to not know when yer mind's somewhere else."  
"Well, I've never tried to do something this bold before, and well after all, I'm not exactly much of a people person."

"You talk ta me, don't ya?"  
"Come on, you know what I mean."  
"'Not sure I do. I'm pretty normal as far as people go, ain't I?"  
"That's not the point." Fredrick practically cracked a rib as Hans, in vain, tried to continue his explanation. "I've never interacted in more than a general tone with foreigners before. And now, I'm gonna have to convince one of them to marry me?" Hans leaned his back on a cracked section of the ship, producing a deep moan from that side of the vessel. "What am I gonna do?"  
"Spend the rest of your life as a galley slave if you break my ship." He hollered once again, persuading Hans to raise his eyebrow.  
"You're not much help."

"I'm bein' honest 'ere."  
"If this is you being honest, then I'd rather not hear it." Hans palmed his face gently, hoping to wipe the sweat off his face. The captain having granted him a moment to think, he wondered why precisely this man was the one who he ended up finding a companion in. After all, _he_ didn't ask for the man to watch him observantly whenever he came to the coastline for a moment alone to think, pondering each and every day what Hans was thinking before he decided to speak to him one day. Still, when Fredrick first revealed himself to Hans, he gave him the most important piece of information he'd ever learn.

"_You say you want them to think yer something special, right? Well, give them a reason to. If you just sit here, venting yer problems ta me all day, to be honest, ya don't deserve a speck of attention from them."_

After years of pitying himself for his circumstances, Fredrick had turned his life around with those words alone.

Hans would never have grown past the defeatist nature of his nine year old self had it not been for him.

Even though Hans was grateful for everything the wise captain had done for him, he wasn't always the easiest person to discuss personal matters with. Often rude and constantly throwing joke after joke his way even if Hans wasn't in the mood, hearing him joke about forcing him into slavery wasn't the first time he'd harbored annoyance at him, nor would it be the last.

"_Actually, it just might be…"  
_If his expedition carried on as planned, he wasn't sure he'd be seeing much of anyone from the Southern Isle again, aside from the occasional royal encounter.

It was the one thing he couldn't let Fredrick know; the first time since the man had been a total stranger to him that he found himself acknowledging he couldn't open his heart to him.

It'd started just a few weeks ago. When news spread of the coronation of Princess Elsa, all it sparked out of him was bitterness. After all, it was just another heir to the bloodline of a royal family; another nameless figure in the endless void of people getting exactly what they deserved. Nothing else reminded him more of the disgusting, barbaric gifts that life had granted to him.

Had he not began to hear more details about this Princess, the thought would never have come to his mind.

A lonely girl whose parents had died only three years ago; before that time, all of the people in the kingdom were locked away from the palace, only given permission to dream of what disturbing truth lied behind the stone cold gates of Arendelle's castle.

Queen Elsa had only appeared once during this long period of separation from her people; during the funeral of her parents who died on their way to meet with a neighboring kingdom for diplomatic purposes. She had been cold, distant; unapproachable. No one blamed her; after all, the girl had lost her parents. However, people noticed that her sister, while in a similar state of mourning, was more willing to accept sympathy. She failed to display the obvious averseness that her sister conveyed with even the slightest motion of her head.

Every kingdom within a hundred miles distance, and possibly even further, would send a representative to Arendelle to witness the crowning of the secretive Princess.

An opportunity then appeared to Hans.

_He _would represent his kingdom there; his brothers were occupied with their own issues, they wouldn't even know there was a coronation. Besides that, his parents would finally have a reason to give him the unique recognition only his brothers harbored during his lifetime.

Despite lacking any sort of plan, he was going to gain influence over Arendelle, and eventually become its ruler. The first step was a royal marriage.

Even with her remarkable number of connections, Elsa was not an option. Far too elusive and evasive, few people could spark a typical conversation with her; much less convince her that one of them was a suitable eternal companion to help her rule.

Anna was a tolerable substitute. The only matter worth considering was locating her…

"If I wasn't honest, you wouldn't have talked to me all these years, now would you 'ave?"  
"I don't understand the comparison at all. I talked to you because you were willing to listen, and you didn't knock me over the head for it. That's it,"  
"You've always been cold, Prince Hans, but it's been a while since you've cut me that deep." It was easy to forget about his aspirations when confessing to Fredrick. He made a note never to make that mistake again.

"You know I'm grateful, Fredrick, don't make me plead in order to regain your friendship."  
"Oh, don't worry Prince Hans, I won't… Not this time anyway," Rocking the steering wheel with a spin of his right arm, loaded to the brim with roughly built muscle, he offered Hans only a small chuckle before his attention returned to the skies ahead. "But I think you'll do fine. You're pretty good at charming people when you 'ave to."  
"Not as a kid,"  
"'Course not. But not even spoiled rich brats get their words right from the day they turn one year old. 'Specially when they're speaking their minds." Hans realized the insecurity he showed inside at the task he was undertaking. His surprise shifted to irritation when it became clear Fredrick was reading his emotions like snow in the ocean, giving the Prince a wink, and a tilt of the grey, ill-combed mess he insisted was actually his hair. "You better spruce yourself up; we'll be reaching the docks in just a few minutes now."

Sweeping his moist hand thoroughly through his hair, he adjusted his coat, glancing at the watch in his right pocket.  
"Not that there's really much a prince can do to spruce up, I suppose."  
Hans didn't bother to focus on his friend's obvious remark. Now was the time to mentally prepare him for the battle that was to come. It wasn't keeping up a ruse being the difficult part; playing the part of the charming, yet clumsy Prince was second nature to him.

Faking love was going to be what he would have the most trouble with.

"_How I am supposed to fake a feeling I don't know?" _He asked himself in a rush of anger.

"_You've hit the nail on the head. Love is a fraud; a spot of the moment feeling used to manipulate others, and create sickeningly sweet ideas in peoples' minds for the sake of advancing personal agendas. There's nothing more to it. Faking love, ha, you won't have any trouble with that."  
"Most people don't see it that way"  
"Ha! You fool! Love is a form of political banter; a clever way kingdoms use to push themselves forward on the schema of influence so deeply involved in their dealings with other kingdoms. Are you forgetting why you're attending this coronation at all?"_

The voice inside was one he'd heard quite often. Hatred, jealously, resentment, all of his negative feelings compiled into a voice that chewed and gnawed at him every chance he was in the middle of an inner conflict. Often, it was much more pragmatic to follow its lead as opposed to wasting precious energy arguing.  
He'd heard of a conscience; the voice inside that suggested the right path to take in times of emotional duress.  
He had one. However, Hans came to understand that if he could compare his "conscience" to anything, it would be the Anti-Christ.

"_No, of course not. I know I deserve this."  
"Doubt is what will cost you everything. Learn to lose it; without it, nothing will stand in the way of the power you deserve."_

A bump knocked him off his feet for a moment.

"I did tell you to brace yourself, your highness."  
"I didn't hear you,"  
"'Couldn't tell," Discovering their new destination, Hans discovered some gratitude for being thrown asunder.

As he'd predicted, several ships laid anchors at the docks aside from his own. Flags proudly bearing the symbols of duchies and kingdoms contained crews almost as large as his own. Some were taking the time to recite a national anthem before following the gathering crowd towards Arrindale's town center.

A glisten in his eye, Fredrick gave Hans a pat on the back before allowing him to leave the ship.

"Thank you, Captain,"  
"You'll do fine."  
"I'll do my best. I promise,"  
"Good enough fer me,"

Heading towards a small wooden landing for the ship's ladder to rest upon, Hans stopped. He weighed himself against the ship's wooden boards next to the ladder, and took a moment to think things over.

He'd passed that moment before he even had the chance to blink his eyes.

"_I'm ready,"  
_It didn't take his pathetic excuse for a conscience to convince him that was true.

With confidence, he sailed down the weathered yet stable ladder, calling his horse over to follow him. A staircase which led to the rest of the town square caught his eyes.  
"Excuse me, sir,"  
An old, prideful yet suspicious man interrupted his ponderings from his left side. Short and lean, he wore an extremely obvious wig on his head with an amusing amount of security. He was garbed in standard, run of the mill formal attire, adorned with a black and red color, and glasses which scarcely contained his worriedly deductive eyes. His horse neighed gruffly at the stranger. "It's a pleasure to meet you; I am the Duke of Weselton."  
Having to concern himself with courteous greetings disturbed Hans's expectations for the day. Although even he'd admitted to himself that his plan couldn't possibly proceed without a hitch, he'd placed some weight on the possibility that he wouldn't have any distractions from his pre-considered course of action. Still, he'd practiced greeting nobles enough to know how to respond to the Duke's self-introduction.

"Prince Hans of the Southern Isle. It's a pleasure to meet you as well,"  
"Have you heard anything about the rumors spreading regarding the castle here, Prince Hans?"  
"What rumors?" That was a truthful question. He hadn't heard of any of the rumors that had sprung up about what was going on inside of Arendelle Castle's walls.  
"Well, some people think that the king and queen were trying to cover up some sort of scheme they'd conducted when they were alive. For example, some theorize one of their children is actually adopted, and is not of royal bloodline. No one knows for sure which one, but many people predictably assume Anna is the one with the blood of a peasant. Another is that one of their daughters was extremely introverted, only coming out to meet other people when she absolutely had to. There's no need to explain which one of the sisters people say had that fear." His head twisted upwards, those eyes darting towards the lens of his glasses again. "Do you put any weight to those rumors?"  
"Well, they could be. I'm sure we'll find out many things about the Princesses when we see them at the ball tonight."  
"Yes, I'm counting on it," His tone lowered to a hiss for a moment. Abruptly, he jolted out of his phase, already beginning his trek towards the stairs. "Um, excuse me, Prince Hans; I seem to be coming down with a bit of a cold." He gagged to emphasize his point. "I better be going," Hans chuckled as he watched the Duke leave his sight.

"_And you thought he'd be trouble, Hans. 'Guess I was more seasick then I thought._

He ordered his horse to trot up the stairs, taking advantage of his raised elevation to examine the scenery. Two royal guards moved up from behind to escort him as he endeavored further into the town square.

The sight wasn't anything special; he'd seen better. Regardless, he recognized the general emotion of the crowd; the mixed combination of fear and anticipation that rattled many of the people in the town, their limbs shaking as they bought banners, and small souvenirs at the different stands he noticed. Banners flew over several buildings at spaces between various houses, and the sense of jubilation upheld by the foreign traders charmed Hans to a level he didn't expect it would.

"_You have work to do. Don't distract yourself,"_

"_Trying to find Anna here would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. I don't even know what she looks like. Besides, I have some time to relax before the ball."_

He hadn't lost sight of it. Far from that, he just needed a quiet place to think.

"I'll be heading to the east coast to relax for a bit," The clanking of metal interrupted his expedition. "By myself,"

Both guards shifted his way in such a speedy manner that Hans couldn't tell they'd been looking another direction just a microsecond ago.

"_OKAY… That's a bit freaky,"_

"With all due respect, Prince Hans, this is a foreign land. You need protection in case of an assassination attempt."  
Hans began laughing. "Don't be silly. This place is harmless. Besides, the people here are much too focused on Queen Elsa opening the gates to even think about going after my head, don't you think?"  
Hans realized the doubt on the soldier's faces wasn't going to leave for at least another century.

"That's an order, sirs."  
"Yes Prince Hans," Both marched backwards, giving Hans the chance to escape their anxious faces to gaze out into the sea. Removing himself from his seat atop his horse, he was back where he began. The sun brightening the horizon with gorgeous yellow rays, he lost the pattern of his mind to self-conversation once again.

"_Don't give yourself a chance to think. It will just make you feel worse."  
"Don't worry. I can use this as time to lift my spirits a bit before the coronation."_

"_This isn't a sign that you're feeling uncertain again, is it?'  
"Of course not. I've got everything under control." _He neatened the top of his suit, accentuating his point. _"Besides, it's not like I don't have room for error, right?"  
"You're not exactly filling me with confidence."_

Shaking off his thoughts, his glance resumed to the seas once again as a breeze of warm air nudged the side of the face.

A bump nearly toppled him off his feet. His horse began to back away, startled by whatever triggered the sound. He eased his horse's temperament as he turned to the voice.

A girl. Her head topped with chestnut colored hair wrapped in a bun, her cheeks covered in freckles, the manner she collapsed into the rowboat nearing the dock screamed that she was simply a peasant girl with her head in the clouds. The fact a batch of seaweed now adorned her forehead wasn't exactly proof to the contrary.

Oddly enough though, her choice of attire was abnormally sophisticated; a sleeveless dress with an appealing green color being it's center point. Stroking his hair with his right hand, he started to feel every single drop of sweat that was accumulating on the back of his neck.

In her own way, she was charming. A fairly attractive young lady, the way she exhibited such innocent clumsiness reminded him of some of his more humiliating moments during his teenage years.  
"Are you alright?" He stepped off his saddle, and walked onto the boat. He offered his hand to her in a gesture of politeness, attempting to help her up from her disheveled position.

"Um, well, yeah," She tossed the seaweed from her head. Glancing up and down from his face to his outstretched hand, she finally decided to pull herself up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so clumsy, I'm just…" She stopped. Her eyes had connected with his, and weren't budging an inch. He didn't blame her.

Both were a dazzling green color; shining with brilliance and radiance he'd never seen in anyone before, she radiated a genuine shyness, and the same embarrassment at the situation that he felt himself.  
"I'm Prince Hans of the Southern Isle," He said, bowing his head.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle," Abruptly, the horse joined in his bow. Had it not knocked them both onto the boat, Hans would probably have found the horse's curtsy fairly adorable.

When his eyes opened, he was gazing into the girl's eyes once again.

Only this time, he was leaning over her as she lay against the boat.

He continued on in his apologetic mindset.  
"I'm sorry, that was an accident. My horse is just a bit…" Just as she was echoing his words, his horse slammed his hoof down on the other side of the rowboat.

Hans assumed the horse was just trying to help them escape their rather embarrassing position.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me, I didn't mean to-"  
"Oh no, don't apologize, it's all me, really." She solidified herself on the boat, pulling him up after she'd finished this task. "I mean, I'm just awkward. But not your awkward, I mean, you're gorgeous… Wait, what?"

He laughed softly as he watched her try to make up for her mistake. Eerily set off by the familiarity she showed to his personality, he inconspicuously cleared his throat, trying to cover up his interior reaction to the unexpected connection he found with her.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to let my horse bump you like that."  
"Oh no, its fine, I mean, it's just me; if you'd bumped my sister, Elsa, then, well, yeah, but… Lucky for you, it's just me."  
Hans barely heard the last part of her words; only one part of her sentence jumped out at him.  
_"…it's just me"_ His heart filled with unquenchable empathy at these words.

The words that meant she'd come to the conclusion that she meant nothing.

The words that meant she was just like him.

"Just you?" His words were so instinctive he didn't even have time to examine them before he broke the silence. However, these were the only words he wanted to say.

Her cheeks were still colored in red as a bell rang in the distance.

"The bells; the coronation. I-I better go," She started running away from the docks towards the castle. "Bye,"

Hans offered a small wave as she left his sight.

That's when it hit him. Suddenly, he recalled the information she'd informed him of just before his horse had incidentally bumped them onto the boat.

If he hadn't a legitimate reason not to gasp in an extremely unsubtle way, he would have.

He'd noticed her commendable attire, but he'd asserted her father had just attained a good deal with a merchant from one of the trading stands. Her personality was unlike that of any other princess he'd met before.

He never could've guessed she was not only a princess, but the princess he was looking for.

That's when his horse also decided to wave.

Losing his balance, the boat flipped over, and he fell into the water.

"_You didn't have to tell me twice; I figured out who she was before this happened."_

He lifted the underside of the boat, and swam next to it, his face still lighting with an enthusiastic glow.

"_Don't let her charming, peasant-like demeanor fool you. Remember, love is a political game. No more, no less."  
_Hans grinned more profusely at the corners of his mouth as he grasped the side of the docks. _"You aren't listening to me, are you?"_

"_Did you say something?"  
"You're letting your affections get in the way of your judgment! Get them out as soon as possible before they get in the way of your plans. You've waited too long to let this opportunity to get what you deserve pass by you."_

He struggled to climb up the docks as he attempted to reason his way through his thoughts. _"The only thing my feelings could to do this plan is make it even easier to pull off. I can do this,"_

"_Love isn't going to stop at a feeling. What are you gonna do if your feelings grow stronger?"  
"I can handle it." _He threw a barrier over the voice, keeping it from throwing any more second thoughts in his mind. There was a new truth in his mind that he knew nothing in this world could ever change.

He was in love with the princess of Arendelle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Joyful thoughts ringing through his head, Hans followed the crowd earnestly to the upcoming coronation. As people made light conversation with each other, spewing more political gossip then he'd heard in quite a long time, he stood at a seat in the second pew on the right side of the room. He couldn't help but admire the décor.

Like the town, it wasn't anything especially sophisticated or complicated; far from it. The church was solidly built, the pews made out of high quality cedar wood, and most of all, the atmosphere was perfect for the occasion. A subtle, yet enthusiastic choir enlightened the room with a reserved yet harmonious spirit. He watched the bishop, an middle-aged gentleman with dark hair, and sophisticated robes, silently rehearse his ritual to himself.

After a few moments, he sat himself down on the pew, not expecting the man next to him to lean against him in his slumber.

"_It could be worse I suppose," _He commented on the sleeping noble. _"He could be snoring,"_

After a few minutes, the ceremony began. The choir's voice lifted, captivating Hans' heart on such a deep level, he was sure everyone in the church felt it as well.

Suddenly, he forgot everything. Forgot about his plan, forgot about his feelings of bitterness towards his family, and even forgot about Princess Anna. All he felt was a rhythmic echoing sound in the bottom of his heart.

He could practically hear his counterpart slap him on the face for falling into a daze.

"_Never forget Hans. You have a job to do. Never-"_

"_I'm pretty sure you said that already."_

Readjusting his concentration back to his goal, he focused squarely on the stage as the bishop, Princess Elsa, and Princess Anna stood ready for the start of the event.

As the bishop began the ceremony, he noticed Anna offering him a small wave. Eyes lighting up, he returned her gesture in a heartbeat. He started to overhear his counterpart giving himself reassuring self-talk.

"… _It's alright, he knows what he's here to do; this could only be a good thing…"_

Hans had to admit hearing a part of him talking to himself as if he were another person was creepy.

VERY creepy.

But, as odd as it was, it didn't bother him. In the end, Hans was grateful for the devil on his shoulder.

Without it, he never would have mustered the determination to get as far as he had in his plan.

His attention diverted back to the ceremony where the bishop was introducing the point of the ceremony. He then offered both the royal scepter and the royal sphere to Elsa. Nervously, she grabbed hold of the two objects, and turned to the crowd as per the norm of the tradition. Hans noticed instantly how nervous and jittery she looked; perhaps all of her years in solitude _had _made her extremely uncomfortable with standing in front of other people.

He faced his eyes towards to the bishop, betting on the fact that Elsa might notice his peering gaze if he locked them on her. Instead, he took mental note of every single body gesture she made, hoping to decipher precisely what she was up to.

When the ceremony had finished, he still hadn't figured out what Elsa was so concerned about. Still, it didn't matter to him.

"_One way or another, I _will _have the throne."_

The atmosphere was light as people made idle conversation with each other, gossiping to each other about the new Queen of Arendelle, and the potential new steps she might take as Queen. Feeling a need to give a good impression to some of the party guests, Hans introduced himself to a group of dignitaries talking as they walked down the pews.

"Prince Hans," A dignitary with a thick Spanish accent. "It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. My name is Javier Fernandez," He bowed humbly to him.

"Ah, no, there's no need to bow like that." Hans chuckled. "After all, I'm just the youngest of thirteen from my kingdom."  
"No, no, not at all," A French dignitary spoke up, attempting to reassure the half-feigning Prince. "You seem like a fine young man to me. " He also bowed. "I am Francis de Marquette."  
"Pleased to meet you,"

"I noticed earlier," Francis said in a teasing manner. "You and the Princess of Arendelle have been growing close, yes?"  
"Um, well, which Princess do you mean?" Abruptly, Hans slapped his head with his palm. "Oh, right. Well, um, what makes you say that?"  
"I am a lover of ze romantic, Prince Hans. I noticed it in your eyes when you looked up at her at ze beginning of ze ceremony."  
"You saw that?"  
"As I said, when it comes to love, I pay attention to all of ze fine details." Javier laughed in response.

"I assume you are planning to marry her?"  
"Huh? Oh, well, that seems a little advanced, but, that is the idea."  
"A marriage like that has more than one benefit. You'd be firmly cementing your positive diplomatic relationship with Arendelle." Francis explained. "While I don't feel this country could possibly be a concern for you in regards to matters of war, having them as an ally could be a valuable asset."

"You've got a good point. Still, that wasn't really why…" Hans blushed slightly, and turned away. He needed a moment to compose himself anyways; he was getting dangerously close to the topic of his plan.

"Oh, zere is no need to be so evasive about the topic around us." Francis bowed to him. "After all, we would never try to humiliate you by telling people about this unless you wanted us to."  
"Oh, no, don't worry, it's not like I thought that, no, of course not." Hans promptly cleared his throat as another man walked up to the group.  
"I hope you three are enjoying the festivities so far." The stocky man spoke.

"Very much so," Francis said.  
"I'm glad to hear it," With a noticeable degree of professionalism, he nodded politely to the two dignitaries, and lowered his head for Prince Hans. "I am Kai, attendant to Queen Elsa and Princess Anna."  
"Pleased to meet you," Francis led.  
"Indeed," Javier said.  
"Yes, it's a pleasure." Hans smiled at the attendant, trying to convey a casual friendliness.

"I'd like to take some more time to talk, but I have much to do for tonight's ball. Enjoy yourselves." He bowed and walked away from the three men.

"Yes, he has quite the point." Francis nods affirmatively to himself, sparking the curiosity of Javier. "Why don't we spend some more time in the center of town until ze ball starts?"  
"I have no qualms with the idea." Javier agreed.  
"That's a good idea. It sounds like a fun way to kill time."  
As the two dignitaries walked out the door, Hans looked back up towards the front of the church building. Princess Anna was now gone; the only ones that were left were a few of the scattered guests walking out the doors, and the Duke of Weselton once again sparking debate with other attendants of the Coronation.  
"Prince Hans? Are you not coming with us?" Javier called out from behind him.  
"Oh, sure. 'Sorry to keep you waiting," He rushed out the door, following the two men.

As the morning passed, and gradually transitioned to evening, Hans found himself increasingly distant from the two dignitaries. Not because of anything they'd said, but simply because he'd lost interest in their dialogue, typical of men of their rank as most of it was regarding international relations, and political intrigue. Despite being more causal than the norm, in the end, it was no different from what he'd heard before from nobility and fellow royalty. So it wasn't exactly difficult for Hans to slip back into his thoughts once again.

His mind was dwelling on Princess Anna; it had become especially clear to him that's where his thoughts wanted to stay. Still, hesitation stemming from both his desire to carry out his plan as well as the fact that he barely knew the Princess of Arendelle in the first place kept him from immersing himself in such romantic dreams.

"_Remember. Use it; as long as you're careful, the feelings you have for her will make your deception all the more poetic in other peoples' minds. You've already done that with the dignitaries."  
"Alright, alright, calm down. I'm fully aware of that."_

He wasn't okay with the idea, though. Even with the little knowledge that he had of her, he knew without a doubt that she was genuine.

It made the idea of taking advantage of her feelings, as well as using his own affection simply to further his deception sound all the more vile.

"_In the end, though… I'm still doing that anyways, aren't I? Isn't it just a question of when in the end..?"  
_He puzzled over these things all the way until the ball began.

Predictably, Hans found the ballroom was similar to the church and the town square in style; while it certainly was decorated to look sophisticated, in the end, it emanated a plain, simplistic feel. And once again, he found it charming.

Taking a moment to grab a drink, he greeted a few of the guests as he awkwardly stumbled his way through the crowd. Since Anna was busy in conversation with her sister, he decided it would be best to try once again to make an impression.

Suddenly, he leaned his posture back, barely avoiding the Duke of Weselton.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"  
"Oh, no, it's quite alright. 'Still, I would prefer you'd be more careful next time." He smoothed out his toupee for a moment. "I do wish this evening had turned out to be more productive."  
"What do you mean?" He asked as he stared into the eyes of his two guards, looming over the Duke's miniature figure.

"The whole day has practically gone by, and I know nothing more about what's going on in Arendelle's castle when no one's around. As soon as the night is out, the gates will be closed, and everything will go back to status quo." The duke emphasized his last words by throwing his arms out to the left and right. "And I thought I would find at least _some _sort of useful information here. I guess I was wrong."

"Well, it is a party. Why don't you just kick back and relax? Besides, the night's still young. There's a pretty good chance you might find something interesting."  
"I suppose you're right. I still have quite a bit of hot-blooded, youthful energy left in me anyways." He jumped into the air, and landed perfectly on his feet. "Well, I suppose I'll get back to dancing. Good evening," He disappeared into the mass of the crowd.

As he sipped his drink, he noticed Anna trip out of the corner of his eye. Instinctively, he caught her.

"'Glad I caught you,"  
"Hans,"  
Music swelled in the background as Hans took Anna's hand, and they began to waltz across the room. He observed the dignitaries in the corner of the ball room, chuckling as they watched him. He stealthily rolled his eyes.

"So, have you had a nice day today?" She asked, staring into his eyes.

"Um, well… Yes, a very good day, actually. How about you?"  
"It's been pretty fun so far," He twirled her around once before she continued. "I think it'll be even better once I get my hands on the chocolate." She giggled for a moment, her cheeks bursting red just as fast. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have let that out-"  
"There's no reason to apologize. I like you just the way you are."  
Hans didn't find his comment very meaningful, in fact, he felt his reassurance was a bit corny sounding. Anna, however, was hanging on to his every word. She smiled even bigger as they continued to waltz across the ballroom. As they danced, Hans felt a warm feeling take over his heart once again.

When the music ended, Anna took a deep breath.  
"Whew, I'm starving. I'm gonna go grab some food."  
"Yeah, that's a good idea."

They navigated the dining tables, both taking some food as they crossed the various tables. For himself, Hans just grabbed whatever Anna did; his mind was reeling too much to think of his own dinner selection at that point.

He ended up with a lot of chocolate, but he didn't mind. It wasn't like he hated the stuff.

Afterwards, they sat at one of the ballroom tables to eat.

"Wow…" She eyed his plate, and then hers. His, and then hers. "We got exactly the same dishes."  
"Oh," He glanced down at his plate.

"You even got the same _amount _of food as me." She giggled.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I was kinda thinking one-dimensionally."  
"Oh, no, I don't mind at all. I just hope you like chocolate." They both laughed as they began eating the dinner.

"Oh my gosh, this is SO good." She gulped. "What's your favorite out of this stuff?"  
"It's kinda hard to deicide. I mean, the chocolate's good-"  
"of course," They both said in unison, instigating another chuckle. "But, if I had to decide which one, I'd actually go for the salad."  
"Really?" Anna replied mouth stuffed full of food.

"It's simple, but it actually has a very fulfilling flavor to it. 'Sides, I've never been a fan of food like meat; I mean, don't get me wrong, I'll eat it, but it's a bit tough for my tastes."  
"Yeah, I see your point." She took a huge sip of the juice she'd poured for herself. Hans remembered her earlier words on the subject in a humorous light.

"_Okay, to be honest, I don't wanna_ _know what I'd act like if I got drunk."_

"So, what's it like back at the Southern Isles? Is life pretty laidback, or is it kinda busy all the time?"  
"Well, it varies from day to day." Hans chuckled, a degree of melancholy showing itself at the end of his chuckle. "It's pretty ordinary most of the time, haha, I'd say."  
Anna stared curiously at him, trying to figure out what feeling he was trying to hide. Promptly, Hans relaxed his stature, reclining himself against the chair. "But it's not that bad. After all, tons of work could get pretty boring, right?"  
"Well, I hadn't thought of it before, but yeah. I mean, who wants to be working out in the summer sun all day, I mean, right?" Hans nodded enthusiastically.

With dinner finished, the pair decided to take a stroll throughout the castle. He couldn't help blushing as he watched her smiling, yet slightly shy figure as she walked next to him. "So, what kinda duties do you have to fulfill as a Prince back at your kingdom, anyways?"  
"Well, it's kinda funny, but not too much. I mean, mainly it's just attending mandatory ceremonies and stuff, but occasionally, I do get to go to events like this, which are _definitely_ a bit more interesting."  
"Yeah. It's sad, but all you really end up doing at those types of events is just making an impression on people. I'm sure your physique helps with that," He found the comment so humorous; all he could really do in response was laugh.

Later, he found himself strolling with her through the castle gardens. He felt a bump hit his shoulder. Chuckling, he bumped her back, and then suddenly noticed something in her hair. Something he hadn't noticed before.

"What's this?" He asked, pointing to a subtle, yet still observable, streak of white in her hair's otherwise chestnut color.  
"Oh, I've always had it. But I dreamed I was kissed by a troll."  
Hans, finding the dream emotional in a strange way, responded kindly to her explanation. "I like it,"  
"Really?"  
"Yeah," She blushed beet red as they continued to stroll.

"Thank you," Another golden sunbeam passed across her face.

They continued their conversation, which eventually culminated into a meaningful conversation on a castle balcony.

"… It's funny," Hans said. "I'm really not used to the idea of having one sibling. In fact, I have _twelve brothers_."  
Anna burst out into laughter. Hans joined her, seamlessly blending his laughter with hers.

"Okay, okay, tell me again, how many brothers do you have?"  
"Twelve. Three of them pretended I was invisible. Literally, for two years."  
He had to shade his words. He didn't want to, but he had to sound pleasant. If she detected even the slightest sign of discontentment, and pain in his words, he would have given her a burden she didn't deserve to bear. Still, he could barely keep himself from croaking out those words.

"That's awful,"  
"It's what brothers do," Hans replied, chuckling at the contentment he was conveying at the cruel reality he had faced in the past.  
"And sisters. Me and my sister Elsa used to be really close. But then, one day, she shut me out, and I never figured out why."  
Her words pulled at his heart again. With honest sympathy, he gently clasped his hand on hers.

"I would never shut you out," Hans knew he had just invited her to a deeper cementing of their relationship.

A subtle indication that he wanted her hand in marriage.

Instead, she took it as a reaffirmation of his affection for her. Which it was, but she failed to detect the ulterior meaning that he was focusing on.

As soon as she began her explanation, an short poem about the life she had lived up until now, he instinctively responded to her in kind.

He was caught in a romantic daze. A rush; a feeling of adrenaline and power flowing through his body that was so empowering, he never wanted to leave it. He understood the fact that this was a sign he was pliable; just as his inner voice had feared, he was falling prey to a feeling he thought was 'fickle' just this morning.

He didn't care.

They joined their voices together in a beautiful duet. Hans was immersed. There was no room for hesitation, or second thoughts. Uncensored, genuine emotion now dominated the atmosphere with absolutely nothing to oppose it.

After they finally finished their duet, Hans knew it was time. Perhaps it was premature; a bit forward for having only known each other a day. But Hans felt it inside.

It was meant to be.

"Can I say something crazy?"

He bent down on his knee, taking Anna's hand with both of his.

"Will you marry me?"  
She gasped in response. For a moment, he was worried.

"Can I say something crazier? Yes,"

His heart flushed with emotion, his daze became even more consuming than it had been just a moment ago. The implications of the decision he'd just made momentarily set him off balance. Anna's next line brought him back to reality.

"Oh wow, there's so much to do. You know, like, I've gotta tell my sister, and then… Oh my gosh, we've gotta get her blessing for the wedding."  
"Do you think she'll say yes?"  
"Oh, don't worry. She's my sister; she'll definitely say yes."

Hans followed Anna as she cheerfully ran back to the castle, clearly eager to hear a positive response to her request from her sister. In the meantime, Hans received another call from the 'conscience' he almost wanted to forget what was there.

"_I don't like this… This is dangerous. I can feel how much you believe in these romantic dreams; this is going to influence your decisions in the future. I can feel it."  
"What are you complaining about? I'm only one step away from getting into the family. From then on, it's easy."  
"It sounds like you're merely justifying your actions. You don't believe in the reasoning you're showing to me at all. How can you believe in the very feeling that you've never felt all these years?"  
"Calm down. I promise you; I can do this. I know I can."_

Hans wasn't sure if his inner voice realized the truth about his words, but Hans certainly did.

He was lying.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

The meant-to-be pair dashed through the ball room, sliding across the floor towards where Queen Elsa stood.

Hans recalled the scattered chatter that had occurred between them on the way back, but it hardly crossed his mind. _"After all," _he thought, _"it's only natural after someone gets married for them to be thinking of just that, right?"_

His counterpart didn't respond, his face still reeling in disgust. _"Yeesh, you could be a little more polite ya know."_

After a couple of seconds, the pair had reached Queen Elsa who was sending off a group of dignitaries. One of them, the French dignitary he had greeted earlier, gave him a small wink as he left.

Anna promptly revealed their recent engagement.

"Elsa? I-I mean, Queen Elsa," She bowed to her, Elsa following her politeness in kind. "I want you to meet Prince Hans, of the Southern Isles."  
"Your highness," Hans courteously, yet concisely responded. Predictably, the Queen's bow was just as curt. Yet, she seemed much more relaxed compared to when she spoke during the coronation ceremony. Maybe there was hope of this going off without a hitch.

"We would ask for-"Realizing they had simultaneously spoken, Hans dreamily watched his bride-to-be giggle as they tried to get the words out. "Your blessing, in… Our marriage."

Elsa was visually quite perturbed by the statement, though not as much from horror as much as shock. Her one word response showed exactly how befuddled she was. "Marriage?"  
"Yes," Anna enthusiastically responded, giggling afterwards just as she'd done before. With a casual flourish, Hans followed, keeping the awkward atmosphere going in an attempt to lessen the power of the news.

The newly crowned Queen Elsa was not convinced.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused."

"Well, you know, we just need the blessing so we can officially start planning, I mean, there's the party to plan, then there's the catering… Oh, would we live here?"

"Here?"  
"Absolutely," Hans found it hard just to keep up with Anna's excessive eccentricities, but he'd done much more difficult things in the past.

"Oh yes, that would be great, we could invite all twelve of your brothers to live here, to…" Hans, exhausted from following Anna's string of wedding plans, just nodded to each of her ideas. His concern at that moment was less on making an impression.

All he wanted to do was bypass all technicalities so that he could finally follow where the princess of Arendelle lead.

"Wait, wait," Elsa cut off their conversation, only a slight amount of force applied in order to silence Anna. "Nobody's brothers are staying here, and nobody's getting married,"  
_"It would have been disadvantageous to our plans for them to be here, anyways." _Hans' inner demon had tuned out as soon as Elsa had dismissed Anna's wish for Hans' brothers to live at the castle. Meanwhile, Hans himself had been hit by Queen Elsa's rejection. In a matter of seconds, all of his dreams had been completely destroyed. Emotions started to swirl inside, crushing any sign of enthusiasm he previously held.

Anna's face slowly became unbelieving, her face showing she was still in shock from her sister's rejection. "What-"  
As Anna struggled to make an objection, Elsa seemed to have relented to make a decision. "Can I talk to you- alone?"  
"No," Anna was feeling instantly pensive after his sister's unrelenting denial. She firmly grasped onto Hans' arm. "Anything you can say in front of me, you can say in front of us."  
Instantly, Elsa lost patience. Her expressions tightened, her voice carrying an authoritative edge that commanded Anna follow her instructions. "Fine, you can't marry a man you just met."  
"You can if its true love," Hans' dreams of romance were falling apart in front of him, but he had to stay strong. He had a part to play; besides, for all of his doubts, his plan to overthrow Arendelle had not become an old wound that he'd grown out of just yet.

"Anna, what do you know about true love?" In a different state of mind, Hans might have laughed about this comment. After all, regardless of his emotional opinion of Anna, he would've convinced her of how much he cared without a second thought of how amoral such an action could be.

But Hans did know.

So instead, her words drew from him a feeling of the indifference his family had shown from him.

_A bitter, twelve year old prince stood in front of his father that day. The man, dressed in an illustrious royal garb, a golden scepter in his right hand, was giving the time he'd customarily set aside to personally instruct Hans. The room was no different from the one he'd greet messengers, and dignitaries from other countries in. But he felt it was the best place if any to conduct such meetings in._

_Only this time, Harold Westergard's intention wasn't to instruct Hans._

_But to discipline him._

"_Hans Westergard, have I not taught you anything?"  
"You don't understand, father." The boy sharply remarked, stroking a loose bang from on top of his father. "My brothers-"  
"All have royal duties of their own," His father was controlled as he always had been. With little doubt, Hans recognized the conciseness of his father's lecture. He needed to be prepared to leave on the off chance a nobleman might need some paternal advice. "They have gone into the world, and made names for themselves. How do you expect to become anything in this world if you do not act as responsibly as they do?"_

_Hans' fist tightened. It was the same story he'd heard several times before. His father desperately tried to hide, but no one could possibly hide cold indifference without occasionally slipping._

_His father just had._

"_Is that all life is to you, father? Am I a political pawn you wish to use for diplomatic deceit and-"  
"Hans Westergard!" He'd raised his voice. Hans knew it; he was trying to cut off Hans from revealing how he really felt; shutting out any chance for Hans to express his true feelings just as his father had removed most of the emotions he felt inside. "I do not want to see my son become a man who succeeds in life by forcing pity from other people! If you never learn to stand on your determination, than you will squander any chance you have to live a life brimming with opportunity!"  
His father didn't look at his words the way he did, but Hans knew exactly was his father was saying. That's all his life meant to him; because he was the youngest son in family of thirteen, he had to manually indoctrinate in Hans the drive to serve his father's needs however he could._

"_King Harold," A well-postured, yet terribly nervous man stumbled up to the king's throne room. "The Duke of Wesselton is wishing to speak to you in regards to your most recent trade agreement."  
His father was exhausted by the idea. Still, he stood up from his chair, and turned to face his son. _

"_Hans, you can't let such foolish situations eliminate your chances at a better life." He pointed to the badge on his right chest, containing the Southern Isles' motto in Latin. For simplicity's sake, Hans had become familiar with the translation._

"_For glory, for honor, for love"_

His father promptly disappeared to discuss the exciting matters that the Duke had arranged for them to discuss. In the meantime, Hans recalled the meaning of each word in the chant.

"_For glory; whatever we do in this world, we do it for the glory of God,"  
"For honor; through our actions, we need to show love and respect to others, thereby showing respect to our mother country, and most of all, to God,"  
"For love; all people in this world we must love above ourselves, and express the love of Jesus to our brothers on Earth, just as he showed it to us."_

_Lastly, Hans remembered the post mortem, a passage from the Bible that appeared on the last blank page of all the books published in the kingdom only a page after the ending of the book:_

"_And God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that whoever follows him may not perish, but inherit eternal life"_

_Those words rang through his head as the room he stood in became silent, the ringing in his ears becoming the only noise he heard. A moment passed before his head drooped down, and he slowly started to cry._

"_I was a fool to get so emotional," _Hans concluded. _"After all, he was a fraud, and God a lie. My life is proof of both of those facts." _  
Before he could decide how he felt of his dark side, returning to show itself in his thoughts, he realized the intensity in the room.

"The party is over, close the gates." The collapse starting to dawn on him once again, he tried to reassure Elsa shortly after Anna's attempt failed.

"Your highness, if I may-"  
"No, you may not, and, I think you should go."  
He started to feel like all of his plans had gone to waste. If Elsa refused to bless the marriage, there was no way he could marry Anna. As soon as she was gone, everything he had worked for would be lost.

Out of the corner of his eye, he witnessed Anna thrust the glove away from Elsa as she tried to grab her hand. Elsa reached back for her glove, almost as if she was desperate to have it.

"Elsa, please, please, I can't live like this anymore."  
Eyes soaked with tears, Elsa could only respond, "Then leave."  
The cold answer struck Anna's heart as Elsa turned to leave. Hans realized the entire room was now staring at the Queen. His previous devastated state had been replaced with curiosity. As soon as Elsa left the ballroom, however, it would all be gone.

It sounded sadistic, but Hans wanted the moment to last.

"What did I ever do to you?" Anna responded, prying for answers from her older sister.  
"Enough, Anna."  
"No, why do you shut me out? Why do you shut the WORLD out, what are you so afraid of?"

Abruptly, icy shards clouded Elsa's next words, sending a cascade of ice across the floor to block people from reaching her. The Duke nimbly avoided the spikes, retorting "Sorcery… I knew there was something dubious going on here,"  
Hans could barely react. All he could do was stare in shock at Elsa, the perpetrator of the night's new turn of events.

Anna dashed out the door to follow her after taking a minute to reassure the populous, and raced out to find her. Honestly concerned for her safety, Hans could do nothing but follow her.

In his pursuit, his mind had gone blank. All this time, the reason the gates of Arendelle had been locked;

It had all been a scheme to keep the new Queen's powers a secret.

Despite Anna's efforts, Queen Elsa raced away from the fjord, thereby erasing any hope of an immediate resolve of the crisis.

Before Hans could think of a way to comfort Anna, he heard a crackling sound resonating over the waters.

"The fjord,"  
His words were simple, yet exhibited his shock perfectly. Gradually, the ice took over the entire land, covering the world in a dark atmosphere of suspense and uncertainty. The first flakes began to fall over the perimeter of Arendelle Castle.

His shock had left him. Everything immediately became clear to him.

The Queen of Arendelle had a caused a crisis that he could not escape from.

He would have to work as hard as he could to surmount this new obstacle.

Princess Anna stood up, hurriedly walking back up to the castle. Searching for further clarification, Hans followed her up.

"Did she ever tell you?" He asked, doing his best to keep up with her as she slithered through the crowd, her hands grasping both of her arms.  
"No,"  
"Did you know?" A different response went through Anna. Previously, she'd been defending her sense of responsibility. Now, he'd connected with her own search for understanding.

"No,"

Abruptly, the Duke of Weselton interrupted their concerns. "I should've seen it coming; the Queen has cursed this land!"  
"Wait-"  
"You," The Duke promptly interrupted Anna's objection, hiding behind his guards. "Is there sorcery in you, to? Hm, are you a monster too?"  
Hans could barely restrain himself.  
"What? No, I'm completely ordinary."  
"That's right," He reassured. Suddenly understanding the accidental implication of his words, he corrected himself. "In the best way,"  
"It's my fault, she didn't mean for any of this."

"She tried to kill me!"  
"You slipped on ice," Hans defended.  
"Her ice!"

"No, I am the one responsible for all this, and I should be the one who goes after her," She prepped herself on Hans' horse, Sitron, preparing for an escape. "I'm going to go after her. I'm putting Prince Hans in charge until I return."  
"Anna, no," Hans instantly resisted. "It's too dangerous."  
Anna gave a meek, yet confidant, response. "She's my sister. She'd never hurt me."

Through her eyes, Hans was convinced. She rode away from the castle, leaving the melancholy air that had been placed in the people. He narrowly evaded addressing the Duke's piercing glare, and turned his attention to the French and Spanish dignitaries.

"As the dignitary for my homeland of France," Francis bowed. "I humble myself to follow your every command."  
"And I as well," Javier followed. "Whatever you wish for us to do, I will follow."  
Hans was flabbergasted, still attempting to adjust to the new situation he found himself in. He tried to get his thoughts in order before speaking.

"_This unexpected turn of events may actually prove advantageous."  
"How can you possibly say that?" _Hans himself responded.

"_After all, Queen Elsa has now become an outcast. It's unlikely she's ever coming back. Once Princess Anna returns, our plan can proceed as we intended."  
"I… I don't wanna have to kill her."  
"In the best case scenario, you may not have to. But don't forget, you need to keep your options open."_

Shaking off his internal struggle, he spoke to the dignitaries. "Before we can take any affirmative action, we need to calm the people. Princess Anna was confident enough, but the people need to realize that I will do everything I can to help. I want you to try to convince them that the situation is under control. In the meantime, I will prepare food and shelter for the people so they will be able to bear this winter, however long it lasts."  
Both dignitaries bowed, and disappeared into the crowd. A presence behind him distracted his attention back to the impatient Duke.

"Prince Hans," He curtly introduced himself, without even offering him a small bow. Hans, however, responded as he always had.

"What can I do for you?"

"I don't think you realize the urgency of this situation. The entire area is covered in snow, effectively blocking us from sending any word back to our native lands about our current situation. Worse, this snow is caused by an out of control sorceress who could be plotting our destruction every waiting minute. Shouldn't you be taking defensive measures to keep her from coming back?"  
"It is clear to me that Queen Elsa did not want these powers," Hans explained. "I do not feel she has any wish to hurt anyone in Arendelle. Second, I will only take such measures if need be. Our first priority is to the people of Arendelle. Besides, if Queen Elsa wanted to return to her place on the throne, putting up guards would only frighten her more."  
"Still, I don't like this situation." He started wringing his hands together. "Before, I could at least get a general concept in my head of how certain events might turn out. I hate being in this type of situation."  
"I don't believe anyone here does, Duke," Hans sympathized. "That is why we are being cautious. Until need be, or if Princess Anna commands it, I am going to serve the people the best I can during this crisis."  
The Duke snorted impetuously, glaring away from Prince Hans' reassuring gaze. "I just hope you're right. For my sake, at least," He started coughing as he followed his guards away from Hans' presence. Even with his less than principled intentions, Hans was certain that there was no one in the castle who might challenge his authority.  
As he ordered the servants to prepare a meal for the citizens of the kingdom, he started to wonder what he was going to do if Queen Elsa came back.

"_Stage an accident. If she comes back, things won't be any different than they were before. The important thing is that you keep it discreet."  
"But…"  
"It would make Anna all the more easy to manipulate. I don't see the downside to any of it, really."  
"I love Princess Anna. How could I do anything to hurt her?"  
"She would never know. She wouldn't think any different of you."  
"But she'd be making me out to be someone I'm not!"  
"You've already done that. You've kept your intentions secret from everyone, even Fredrick. What's the point in not immersing yourself in such deception if necessary?"  
_Hans started to feel himself returning to a time in his past, shortly after the king had dismissed his complaints about his brothers.

"_The way I see it, young Prince, is that ya always need someone to vent yer feelings to. If ya don't, you may do something you regret."_

_Fredrick leaned back on the barrel he was sitting on. "I've gotten kicked off from one too many crews 'cause I let my feelings get the best of me."  
"Are you saying I should tell my father exactly how I feel?" Hans asked, obviously disagreeing with the man's idea. "But, I already talk to you about all these things."  
"Well, that's different, yer highness. After all, I'm just a confidant." Affectionately, he patted Hans' back. "But if you never tell yer father how you feel about it, you'll never know if you'll get a straight answer. Besides, keeping everything to yourself eventually makes ya feel like you've got a weight on your shoulders ya just can't carry."_

Yet, Hans knew he had not heeded that advice. In the recent years, Hans had not let even Fredrick know about the unscrupulous plans he wanted to carry out in order to achieve power. For all he had been able to tell the aging captain, that was something he knew he'd never understand.

Which, coincidentally, was the samereason his father never did hear about his concerns about his brothers; he would've passed them off just as he had every other complaint he leveled to him.

"Prince Hans,"  
Anna's head servant, Kai, returned Hans' mind to other matters. "Yes, Kai,"  
"I have to apologize for the situation you have found yourself in."  
"No one could have predicted what happened," Hans admitted. "Now, we need to concern ourselves with helping the people of Arendelle anyways I can. I understand wanting to get upset; if she had let me, I would've gone to search for Queen Elsa myself. But we need to follow her wishes, at least until circumstances become desperate."  
"I understand, your highness," Kai bowed. "I will do everything I can to assist you."  
Hans' eyes trailed to an outside window, eyeing the snowflakes as they hovered out of his sight. Confliction still present in his heart, he pushed it aside as he ended his conversation with Kai.

"Thank you. Now, let's get started."_  
_


End file.
